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Dining on the Erie Lackawanna
Before railroads had dining cars, passengers on long trips either brought along their own food or dined at restaurants at our near station stops. The food at these stops was rarely of good quality or much variety, and passengers had only minutes in which to eat. In the 1870s, dining cars were developed first for wealthy passengers. The Chicago & Alton Railroad was the first to adopt the dining car for regular passenger service. In order to compete, other Chicago railroads did likewise. Eventually, dining cars became a competitive necessity on all railroads, no matter how high an expense was incurred through their manufacture and operation.
The Pullman Company built the first dining car, naming it the "Delmonico", after the world-famous restaurant in New York City. This diner featured two dining rooms with a kitchen between the two rooms. By the early 1880s, the design configuration of the dining car had changed, putting the kitchen at one end of the car and the dining room, seating 36 people, at the other end. A dining car required a staff of at least seven and sometimes as many as 16 cooks, busboys, and waiters. Tables were set with fine linen, silver, and china, all made especially for the railroad and emblazoned with its logo. The cars themselves were generally carpeted, occasionally furnished with fine draperies and light fixtures. Menus might offer as many as 80 different dishes, featuring fresh meats, fish, poultry, baked goods, fruits, and vegetables.
From the late 1800’s until 1970, the Erie, DL&W and finally the Erie Lackawanna provided some of the best meals in the country in its fleet of dining cars. These meals were no mere “tray service” or sandwiches - the finest ingredients were freshly prepared onboard the dining car, then served on heavy china at a table with the finest linens, polished silver and elegant glassware. The chefs, waiters and steward were well-versed in providing the highest level of service possible. |
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